In Truth, It’s National Novel Re-Writing Month

It’s November, the month when countless writers toil at their new and unfinished novels in a communal effort at slinging out 50,000 words in one month. People have published novels who’ve logged NaNoWriMo time. Do not be confused about NaNo’s role, through. Nobody creates a novel in 30 days that can be published. But a hefty draft, one that can be re-written and expanded and cut back, can start from a healthy work habit you establish during this month. One of the success stories logged by Mental Floss claims the novel The Night Circus came together over two NaNo’s. That, plus weeks of editing, to be sure.

Agent Kristen Nelson has offered three pieces of advice to her prospective writers about this month-long bash-fest. Bashers are the writers who plow through their stories, throwing caution, grammar, and precision to the winds. They want to see what the last page looks like, knowing they’ll be doubling back to make their writing look like a novel. Nelson’s advice is to understand that 50,000 words in 30 days is only a start. In short, write badly, because it frees you to write because “Sometimes there is a gem of an idea that will turn into “the one” and jumpstart your career.”

Also good advice for NaNo writers:

1. Write book jacket copy first. Summarize your story’s concept with the language you see on a book’s back cover — or if it’s a real high-rent title, a dust cover. Nelson’s got a superior take on why you’re doing this.

So many writers focus on stories that don’t have a concept big enough to merit a novel. Knowing how your jacket copy could read before you jump in and write an entire novel forces you to boil your story down to its essence to see if your idea is solid. Then share your jacket copy with other writers. Ask, “Would you read this novel?” So much of success in this business depends on luck and timing. You have to have the right story at the right time for the market.

Indie-published writers shouldn’t worry about this so much, she adds. I’d beg to differ. Knowing your story well enough to tell it in a few sentences will save you months of wandering among words. It will also save the time of readers who try to enjoy your book.

2. Hitting 50,000 words in 30 days is not the measure of success. Finishing the manuscript, then revising it, is success. One of the seminal books of the NaNo phenomenon is “No Plot, No Problem.” Well, it’s not a problem while bashing the words, but making a book requires plotting. Revision creates plots.

3. You don’t have to share everything you write, so you can write crap. Here Nelson says something delicious: “Every author writes crap sometimes. Repeat after me: Even bestselling authors write crap sometimes. It’s a fact of the writing life.”

Have fun, dream big — and set aside time in December and January to make that novel worth reading.